Zymeworks Appoints Kristin Stafford As New CFO, Bringing Deep Life Sciences And Capital Markets Experience

Zymeworks Inc., listed on Nasdaq under the symbol ZYME, is a biotechnology company that oversees a portfolio of licensed healthcare assets and is actively developing a broad pipeline of novel, multifunctional biotherapeutics. The company announced the appointment of Kristin Stafford as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective April 1, 2026.

Kenneth Galbraith, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Zymeworks, said that Kristin brings extensive experience from across the life sciences sector. He noted that she has a strong background in strategic planning, disciplined capital allocation, and handling complex capital markets and strategic transactions, including acquisitions, during her time at Royalty Pharma plc. He added that the organization looks forward to her contributions as it continues building a stable and differentiated business.

Kristin Stafford most recently served as Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer at Royalty Pharma, a role she held beginning in December 2018. Before that, she was Vice President of Finance at Royalty Pharma and also served as Chief Financial Officer of BioPharma Credit plc between 2016 and 2018. Earlier in her career, she worked at Ernst & Young LLP as a director in the Capital Markets division in London, where she focused on U.S. transactions involving European life sciences companies.

She also managed external SEC reporting for iHeartMedia and began her career as an auditor at Deloitte. Kristin Stafford currently serves as a Board Member at Novocure. She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Sonoma State University.

In her statement, Stafford expressed her enthusiasm for joining Zymeworks at a pivotal time. She said the company has developed a strong foundation supported by a differentiated business model and high-quality therapeutic assets. She shared that she looks forward to working closely with the leadership team to support disciplined capital allocation, strengthen operational performance, and help create long-term value as the company moves forward with its strategic goals.